Good Policy Paper: Guiding Practice from the Policies of Independent Accountability Mechanisms (January 2024 & December 2021)

Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs), when implemented effectively, can be transformative tools for justice. IAMs are a forum for communities whose human rights and environment are harmed by investments to raise their concerns and have them addressed. In 1993, the World Bank created the first independent accountability mechanism in response to political and public pressure from … Read More.

Working for Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Tutorials (Nov 2021)

The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is the all-encompassing global framework for supporting the realization of sound management of chemicals and waste throughout their lifecycle. Its core elements include the implementation of all binding chemicals and waste agreements, as well as providing guidance for work with issues that are of international priority but … Read More.

Recommendations for the Implementation of OVE’s Evaluation of MICI from Civil Society Organizations (Nov 2021)

In April 2021, the Office of Evaluations and Oversight (“OVE”) at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) published the Evaluation of the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI) (“OVE’s Evaluation”). The evaluation aimed to determine whether MICI was effective and efficient in three areas: (1) the resolution of complaints; (2) the promotion of institutional learning; and (3) … Read More.

Permian Climate Bomb (Oct 2021)

To head off climate catastrophe, oil and gas production and consumption must decline. The opposite is happening in the Permian Basin, where production has more than quadrupled in the past decade, and is expected to grow aggressively in the coming decade. In partnership with Oil Change International and Earthworks, CIEL is producing a six-part series … Read More.

Plastic is Carbon: Unwrapping the ‘Net Zero’ Myth (Oct 2021)

In recent years, the plastics and petrochemical industry has embraced the idea of “net-zero plastic” to greenwash expanded plastic production and use. Their narratives tout zero-emissions plastic, but there is no way around it: plastic is carbon. It is a major threat to our climate, and can never be a part of any solution to … Read More.

Indigenous Peoples’ Participation in Bodies Established Under UN Climate Agreements: Fact Sheet Series (Oct 2021)

Indigenous Peoples have been warning about the climate crisis and combating false solutions to climate change for decades. Their advocacy has been instrumental in getting governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies. Many Indigenous representatives advocate for a human rights-based approach to these policies — an approach that respects, protects, and fulfills the United Nations Declaration … Read More.

Meaningful Public Participation in a COVID-19 World (Jul 2021)

Guiding Questions for Organizing International Negotiating & Meeting Spaces The COVID-19 pandemic upended long-held plans for international conventions, meetings, and negotiating spaces, forcing critical conversations onto digital platforms that, until March 2020, had never been tested by the global community. While the transition to online platforms was necessary, the design and execution of the reimagined … Read More.

Confronting the Myth of Carbon-Free Fossil Fuels: Why Carbon Capture Is Not a Climate Solution (Jul 2021)

The world is confronting a climate emergency. Avoiding climate catastrophe requires immediate and dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are possible only with a significant investment of public resources in proven mitigation measures, beginning with eliminating fossil fuel use and halting deforestation. Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, and carbon capture, utilization and storage, … Read More.

Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UNFCCC (Jun 2021)

For decades, Indigenous Peoples have drawn upon knowledge and observations shared by their Elders and knowledge keepers and their reciprocal relationships with the natural world to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Their continued leadership has been essential to advancing rights-based frameworks during climate negotiations and is evident in documents such as the preamble of … Read More.

Legal Analysis of the Consequences of the OECD Non-Consensus Determination on the Basel Plastic Amendment (February 2021)

This legal opinion is an analysis of the legal obligations for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members trading in plastic wastes, following the OECD’s inability to reach consensus on the incorporation of most of the Basel Plastic Amendments into the OECD Decision on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations … Read More.

The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: How Can the European Union Set an Example for the World? (January 2021)

In October 2020, the European Commission published the “Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability,” which sets up a new long-term vision for chemicals policy in the European Union (EU) and presents some of the most potentially transformative initiatives of the past twenty years. The Strategy should help to achieve “a toxic-free environment,” as established in the “zero … Read More.

Legality of EU Proposals on Ship Recycling (September 2020)

On November 20, 2013, the European Union adopted the Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR), which entered completely into force (as amended) in December 2018. The regulation was intended to integrate the provisions of the International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (the Hong Kong Convention) into the law of the European Union … Read More.

Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals Beyond 2020: Options for a Coordinated Tax (September 2020)

Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals Beyond 2020 provides the essential background and facts for the proposed internationally coordinated chemical tax or fee on basic chemicals. Key Findings The chemical industry generates trillions of dollars in annual sales but does not shoulder the significant health and environmental costs that derive from its activities. Substantial management capabilities … Read More.

Pandemic Crisis, Systemic Decline: Why Exploiting the COVID-19 Crisis Will Not Save the Oil, Gas, and Plastic Industries (April 2020)

Amidst a global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, the oil, gas, and plastic industries are exploiting the crisis by aggressively lobbying for massive bailouts and special privileges in a desperate attempt to revive an oil and gas industry already in decline. Pandemic Crisis, Systemic Decline: Why Exploiting the COVID-19 Crisis Will Not Save the … Read More.

States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: 2020 Update (March 2020)

As governments and intergovernmental organizations have recognized, climate change has adverse impacts on a wide range of human rights. Consequently, States must uphold their existing human rights obligations defined under legally binding treaties in the context of climate change and climate policies. These obligations require that climate policies effectively protect the rights of those most affected … Read More.

Leveraging the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies for Climate Campaigning: Resources for Activists and Campaigners

The UN human rights treaties are monitored by dedicated “Human Rights Treaty Bodies” (HRTBs). States are required to submit reports on the human rights situation in their respective countries and the HRTBs assess the State’s compliance with its treaty obligations and publish a set of recommendations (“Concluding Observations”) to the State. Civil Society can submit … Read More.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Dec 2019)

Compilation of Decisions adopted by the Parties to the Convention The Parties to the UN Climate Agreements have recognized that persons with disabilities are key stakeholders in the international response to climate change. As such, they must be engaged throughout the UNFCCC processes and their rights respected and promoted through any climate activity, including mitigation, … Read More.

Briefing Note Series on Human Rights & Climate Change (2019)

Report from the Madrid Climate Conference / COP-25: Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action at the COP-25 (January 2020) – 6 pages This report from the 2020 UN Climate Conference (COP-25 in Madrid) provides a short overview of the climate talks with a focus on agenda items most relevant to the protection and promotion of … Read More.

Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – 2019 Update (Aug 2019)

Even though Indigenous Peoples contribute little to greenhouse gas emissions, owing to their dependence upon and close relationship with the environment and its resources, they are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change in all areas of the world. To make matters worse, climate policies often further undermine the rights of … Read More.

Authorized to Steal: Organized Crime Networks Launder Illegal Timber from the Peruvian Amazon (July 2019)

(Español abajo) Authorized to Steal: Organized Crime Networks Launder Illegal Timber from the Peruvian Amazon reveals the extent to which public officials systematically enable criminal networks to illegally harvest timber in Peru. It identifies by name 34 Peruvian government officials who have been complicit in laundering timber from harvest to sale. In addition, it elaborates … Read More.

Uncalculated Risks: Threats and Attacks Against Human Rights Defenders and the Role of Development Financiers (June 2019)

Inclusive and sustainable development requires an environment where all people are free to express their views, to exercise their rights, and to fully participate in the decisions impacting their lives and their communities. Every day, indigenous peoples, communities, social movements, journalists, and individuals are doing essential work protecting their lands and resources from destruction, fighting … Read More.

Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet (May 2019)

Amidst growing concern about the impacts of plastic on the oceans, ecosystems, and human health, there’s another largely hidden dimension of the plastic crisis: plastic’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet examines each of these stages of the plastic life cycle to … Read More.

Extraction Casino: Mining Companies Gambling with Latin American Lives and Sovereignty through Supranational Arbitration (May 2019)

During the last couple of decades—and particularly during the last ten years—mining companies have filed dozens of claims against Latin American countries before international arbitration panels, demanding compensation for court decisions, public policies and other government measures that they claim reduce the value of their investments. In a majority of these cases, the communities most … Read More.

States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: 2019 Update (March 2019)

As governments and intergovernmental organizations have recognized, climate change has adverse impacts on a wide range of human rights. Consequently, existing human rights obligations defined under legally binding treaties must inform climate action. These obligations require that climate policies and measures effectively protect the rights of those most affected by climate impacts. They also require … Read More.

Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet (February 2019)

Despite being one of the most pervasive materials on the planet, plastic and its impact on human health is poorly understood. Human exposure to it grows with increasing plastic production and use. Research into the human health impacts of plastic to date has focused narrowly on specific moments in the plastic life cycle, from wellhead … Read More.

Fuel to the Fire: How Geoengineering Threatens to Entrench Fossil Fuels and Accelerate the Climate Crisis (Feb 2019)

Fuel to the Fire: How Geoengineering Threatens to Entrench Fossil Fuels and Accelerate the Climate Crisis investigates the early, ongoing, and often surprising role of the fossil fuel industry in developing, patenting, and promoting key geoengineering technologies. It examines how the most heavily promoted strategies for carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation modification depend on … Read More.

Briefing Note and Report Regarding the Promotion of Human Rights at the Katowice Climate Conference (COP24) (Dec 2018)

Promoting Public Participation in Climate Policies: Opportunities at the Katowice Climate Conference (COP24) This briefing note addresses the importance of access to information and public participation for effective climate policies. It provides an overview of opportunities for parties to the Paris Agreement to enhance public participation and access to information in climate policies during COP-24. … Read More.

National Human Rights Institutions and the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue (Aug 2018)

Showcasing that Climate Action should be Human Rights-Based The Talanoa Dialogue on Climate Ambition organized throughout 2018 in the context of the UN climate negotiations offers a significant opportunity for all stakeholders, including National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), to frame climate ambition and action in the context of human rights and the principles reaffirmed by … Read More.

National Human Rights Institutions and the 2018 UN Climate Conference (Aug 2018)

Incorporating Human Rights in the Implementation Guidelines of the Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement of 2015 represents a significant step for the promotion of human rights-based and people-centered climate policies. Critical to this are the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement, which are currently being drafted and are planned to be adopted at COP-24 in December 2018. The … Read More.

Progress on Plastics: Ongoing Updates

Recognizing plastic pollution as a serious and rapidly growing issue of concern that requires an urgent global response, both the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and 2017 UN Oceans Conference have set into motion enhanced global action on ocean plastics. At the UNEA3 meeting in December 2017, States formed an Ad-Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group (AHOEEG) to present … Read More.

CETA Threatens EU Member States Ability to Protect the Public Interest: Four Case Studies (March 2018)

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is designed to facilitate the unfettered expansion of trade between the EU and Canada, including by limiting the regulatory burden for companies in both jurisdictions. This means harmonizing regulations, which historically has meant reducing them to the lowest common denominator; reducing the discretion regulators have to tailor … Read More.

States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change (Jan 2018)

As governments and intergovernmental organizations have recognized, climate change has adverse impacts on a wide range of human rights. Existing human rights obligations defined under legally binding treaties must consequently inform climate action.  These obligations require that climate policies and measures effectively protect the rights of those most affected by climate impacts.  They can also … Read More.

A World Court for Corporations: How the EU Plans to Entrench and Institutionalize Investor-State Dispute Settlement (Dec 2017)

The European Commission proposal for a global investor court for investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) – known as the Multilateral Investment Court – threatens to enshrine, expand, and entrench the current system of corporate privilege in future trade deals. A world court for corporations would be the capstone in the architecture of corporate impunity, undermining democratic … Read More.

Upholding Human Rights: Bridging the Gender-Environment Divide (Oct 2017)

The project Upholding Human Rights: Bridging the Gender-Environment Divide (2014–2017), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, set out to achieve recognition and effective protection of women’s human right to water, food, and a healthy environment in India, Kenya, and South Africa. The following publications are part of a joint project with Both ENDS … Read More.

CETA Threatens EU and Members States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides (July 2017)

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is an agreement between the EU, its Member States, and Canada. The European Commission, Council of Ministers, and European Parliament have formally approved the agreement, and once Canada has ratified CETA according to its domestic procedures and notified the EU, most of the agreement will be provisionally applied. … Read More.

Analysis of OECD WPMN Dossiers Regarding the Availability of Data to Evaluate and Regulate Risk (Dec 2016)

ANALYSIS OF OECD SUBSTANCE TESTING PROGRAMME NANOMATERIALS DOSSIERS The Sponsorship Testing Programme of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) started in 2007 with the aim to test a selection of 13 representative nanomaterials for many endpoints. The main objectives of the programme were to better … Read More.

Amicus Curiae Brief on the Request for an Advisory Opinion by the Republic of Colombia to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Jan 2017)

January 18, 2017 The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Vermont Law School Center for Applied Human Rights presented this amicus curiae brief to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the Republic of Colombia’s request for an advisory opinion in relation to the interpretation of Articles 1(1), 4(1) and 5(1) of the American … Read More.

Reset Governance: Nanomaterials as a case study on negligence (Jan 2017)

NGO demands for adequate EU governance of nanomaterials Civil society organisations renew calls for more public policy regulating human health and environmental safety of nanomaterials. The European Commission’s continuing resistance to the development of a clear regulatory framework hampers the safe use and development of nanomaterials. These materials still cannot have their hazard profiles and … Read More.

Trillion Dollar Transformation: Fiduciary Duty, Divestment, and Fossil Fuels in an Era of Climate Risk (Jan 2017)

Trillion Dollar Transformation is a collaborative initiative by Mercer and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) which seeks to educate pension fund fiduciaries on the financial and legal challenges climate change presents, and equip them with the information and tools to respond. Mercer’s economic analysis demonstrates that, regardless of the response scenario, climate change … Read More.

Factsheet: Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials in a Regulatory Context (Dec 2016)

This fact sheet provides an overview of the existing risk assessment procedures for manufactured nanomaterials as well as details and comments on the most relevant on-going developments. The increasing amounts of products that contain nanomaterials give rise to concerns regarding their human health and environmental safety. Due to their small size, nanomaterials exhibit very specific … Read More.

A Compliance Check of the European Parliament’s TTIP Resolution: Public health, environment and democracy at risk (Jul 2018)

In a Resolution adopted in July 2015, the European Parliament made explicit recommendations to European Commission trade negotiators to ensure that negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership did not undermine the ability of European Member states to regulate in the public interest. The present analysis examines the conduct of the negotiations in the ensuing year to determine whether … Read More.

Glass Half Full: The State of Accountability in Development Finance (Jan 2016)

Real development respects human rights and is shaped by the people it is designed to benefit. However, ‘development’ – the way it is currently practised by Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) – in many cases has been associated with the dispossession of land, loss of resources, diminished livelihoods and environmental degradation. Each of the 758 complaints submitted over the past 21 … Read More.

Second Workshop Summary: Lifecycle perspective of nanomaterials (Dec 2015)

The second workshop organised as part of the nanotechnology project funded by the Villum Foundation and the European Commission was held on the 9th of December 2015 in Brussels. The three-year project is led by ECOS, CIEL and Öko-Institut. Marking the second year of the project, this workshop addressed lifecycle aspects of nanomaterials to an … Read More.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Environment: An Assessment of Commitments and Trade Agreement Enforcement (November 2015)

On October 5, 2015, the White House issued a statement by the President on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement claiming that the TPP “includes the strongest commitments on labor and the environment of any trade agreement in history, and those commitments are enforceable, unlike in past agreements.” This claim itself is unremarkable since proponents of … Read More.

Human Rights Implications of Toxic Chemicals – Issue Briefs (Sept 2015)

In conjunction with the ongoing global negotiations of the 4th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) organized under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), CIEL and Ban Toxics released a series of issue briefs highlighting the human rights implications of six highly toxic pollutants. The issue briefs focus … Read More.

Preempting the Public Interest: How TTIP will Limit US States’ Public Health and Environmental Protections (Sep 2015)

Preempting the Public Interest: How TTIP Will Limit US States’ Public Health and Environmental Protections details how EU proposals for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would usurp US states’ authority to regulate toxic chemicals. These proposals would not only curtail states’ efforts to protect the public from toxic exposure, but also threaten any State … Read More.

Bringing community perspectives to investor-state arbitration: the Pacific Rim case (CIEL/IIED/FESPAD) (June 2015)

With over 3,000 investment treaties worldwide and a growing number of investor-state arbitrations, the need and opportunities for bringing community perspectives in investment disputes can only be expected to rise in the coming years. Civil society organisations can play an important role in carrying and strengthening community voices in arbitration processes, by making submissions to … Read More.

(Mis)Calculated Risk and Climate Change – Are Rating Agencies Repeating Credit Crisis Mistakes? (June 2015)

(Mis)Calculated Risk and Climate Change – Are Rating Agencies Repeating Credit Crisis Mistakes? demonstrates that by not adequately accounting for climate risks, rating agencies could be repeating the mistakes of the credit crisis where risk was underestimated to the detriment of the global financial system. By not factoring in climate risk, credit rating agencies are assuming … Read More.

Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim (CIEL/IIED/FESPAD) (June 2015)

Con más de 3,000 tratados de inversión en todo el mundo y un número creciente de arbitrajes entre inversionistas y Estados, resulta previsible que en los próximos años se incremente la necesidad y las oportunidades para hacer llegar las perspectivas de las comunidades a las controversias sobre inversiones. Las organizaciones de la sociedad civil pueden desempeñar … Read More.

Using International Law to Advance Womens’ Tenure Rights in REDD+ (RRI/CIEL) (June 2015)

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international initiative  to mitigate climate change in the forest sector. It is intended to incentivize developing countries to  reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as promote sustainable  management of forests, and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. REDD+ has … Read More.

Fact Sheet: Nanotechnology Regulation and the OECD (Jan 2015) English/French

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization playing a significant role in the regulation of chemicals through its Environment, Health and Safety programme (EHS). The OECD is the place where member states come together to, among other things, agree and validate test guidelines and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) for chemicals … Read More.

Lowest Common Denominator: How the proposed US-EU trade deal threatens to lower standards of protection from toxic pesticides (January 2015)

Stronger, more progressive regulations  for the protection of health and the environment are being targeted by  industry for elimination under the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Where stronger laws and  standards have been democratically adopted  or are even proposed—for hazardous pesticides and other chemicals on only one side  of the Atlantic, they have consistently … Read More.

Strategic Workshop on Nanotechnology: Bridging the gap between policy and science – Event Summary (Feb 2015)

The objectives and focus points of the session were summarised in the following points: Increase the capacity of civil society in understanding the challenges posed by nanomaterials (NMs) in products, including food and food contact materials Discussion of current policy and regulatory priorities Specific technical difficulties to regulate and minimise the risks of NMs Update … Read More.

Fact Sheet: Toxicity of Engineered Nanomaterials (Jan 2015)

This factsheet intends to inform interested lay persons who engage in the field of risk governance for nanotechnologies, including standardization, labelling, or regulation in a European context. It reviews currently available knowledge on nano-toxicology, in particular exposure assessment and hazard assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENM). The factsheet aggregates information gathered from scientific literature and attempts a preliminary interpretation of the … Read More.

El desarrollo de un Sistema Nacional de Salvaguardas para REDD+ en México: Un caso para el valor de la orientación internacional (BIC, CEMDA & CIEL) (December 2014)

Conforme los países de todo el mundo hacen progresos en su preparación para REDD+ (Reducción de Emisiones por Deforestación y Degradación de los Bosques), los gobiernos nacionales pasan apuros para encontrar la manera de respetar y abordar las salvaguardas sociales, medioambientales y de gobernanza necesarias. Deben cumplir con las salvaguardas REDD+ dentro de sus contextos … Read More.

The Development of a National Safeguard System for REDD+ in Mexico: A Case for the Value of International Guidance (BIC, CEMDA & CIEL) (December 2014)

As countries around the world make progress in preparing for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), national governments are grappling with how to respect and address the requisite social, environmental and governance safeguards. They must comply with the REDD+ safeguards within their national contexts, while also navigating the various standards attached to multiple … Read More.

Fugas en el sistema: Por qué la crisis de la tala ilegal en Perú impide la implementación efectiva de REDD+ (Amerasinghe & Blue Sky) (November 2014)

La tala ilegal es un problema generalizado y omnipresente en Perú: se estima que la ilegalidad alcanza un nivel de hasta 80% de la madera exportada. La tala ilegal destruye ecosistemas forestales, amenaza la biodiversidad, perjudica a las comunidades que dependen de los bosques y da lugar a graves violaciones de los derechos humanos contra … Read More.

Fact Sheet: Nanomaterials Definition (Nov 2014) English/French

Nanotechnology can generally be described as the synthesis, visualization, configuration and manipulation of atomic to molecular sized particles. This includes the manufacture, use and manipulation of materials at the nano scale. This innovative technology promises technical and economical advantages in diverse fields ranging from medicine, cosmetics and food processing, to energy production and storage, and electronics and textiles. Despite its … Read More.

Leaks in the System: Why Peru’s Illegal Logging Crisis Prevents Effective REDD+ Implementation (Amerasinghe & Blue Sky) (November 2014)

Peru provides an example of how illegal logging could undermine and in effect nullify REDD+. Without a substantial and competent legal framework in place to control current conditions, REDD+ activities will not be effective. Moreover, if projects move forward without overhauling the policy, legislative, and enforcement framework to prevent illegal logging, there will be significant risks of leakage and reversals, among other safeguards problems, in … Read More.

Submission to Norway Government Pension Fund Global Regarding Fossil Fuel Divestment (Amerasinghe & Korol) (October 2014)

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) respectfully submits the following comments regarding the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global’s (GPFG) investments in coal and petroleum companies. These investments expose Norway to legal, financial, and reputational risks inherent to the fossil fuel sector. Currently, such risks are most intense in the coal sector. Moreover, continued fossil … Read More.

Toxic Partnership Revealed (CIEL/Climate Earth/NRDC) (October 2014)

A leaked text for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) from the European Commission shows that negotiations favor business interests over the protection of citizens’ health and the environment. The leaked “chemicals annex” closely follows the chemical industry’s agenda for TTIP to minimize regulatory differences between the US and the EU. Civil society groups … Read More.

Toward a Toxic Partnership: A critique of the EU position on chemicals under the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement with the US (ClientEarth & CIEL) (July 2014)

In May 2014, the European Commission disclosed to the public certain elements of their vision for “regulatory cooperation” between the EU and US on industrial chemicals under TTIP. Like the chemical industry’s proposals from which they originate, the EU’s vision for TTIP in the chemicals sector would obstruct efforts to promote the substitution of harmful … Read More.

Pac Rim Cayman LLCcontra la Republica de El Salvador, Caso CIADI no ARB/09/12, Presentacion Escrito Amicus Curiae Relativo al Fondo de la Differencia (CIEL) (July 2014)

Como fuera señalado en escrito de amicus curiae presentado por los amici en la etapa de jurisdicción y aceptado por el Tribunal, los amici son organizaciones miembros de la Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica de El Salvador (“La Mesa”), una coalición de organizaciones comunitarias, centros de investigación, y organizaciones ambientales, de derechos humanos … Read More.

Comprehensive Land-Use Planning: A Rights-Based Approach [Discussion paper for addressing the land sector under the ADP] (June 2014)

There is an urgent need for comprehensive land-use planning planning in order to effectively address emissions from in order to effectively address emissions from the land-use sector. Whether emissions from forests and agriculture are reported together or separately, there is interplay between land-use changes, such as agricultural expansion driving deforestation. Therefore, a global climate agreement … Read More.

Re: Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador, ICSID Case No ARB/09/12, Submission of Amicus Curiae Brief on the Merits of the Dispute (CIEL) (July 2014)

In their amicus curiae brief, amici argue that the measures adopted by El Salvador regarding the mining project proposed by Pac Rim Cayman LLC find support on the State’s international obligations on human rights and environment. In particular, human rights obligations relating to the environment require that El Salvador design and apply a legal framework to … Read More.

Managing the Unseen: Opportunities and challenges with nanotechnology (May 2014)

The potential overall impact of nanotechnologies on society has been heralded as being on- par with the industrial revolution, and few technologies have triggered as many comments, hopes, fears, and radical statements as nanotechnology. Nanoscience and nanotechnologies are revolutionizing our understanding of matter and are likely to have profound implications for all sectors of society. … Read More.

Statement of Carroll Muffett, CIEL President & CEO, “The US-EU Free Trade Agreement: Tipping over the Regulatory Barriers”, as delivered to the US House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommitee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade (May 2014)

Industry proposals to implement more stringent standards on data protection and confidential business information through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations would limit access to data and information, adversely affecting efforts to improve public health, consumer safety and the environment. In the case of hazardous chemicals, inventors need access to information about chemical … Read More.

Social and Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology Development in Asia-Pacific (Azoulay, Foladori and Senjin) (March 2014)

All around the world, nanotechnology is being promoted as a technological revolution that will help solve an array of problems. According to the current hype, nanotechnology promises to provide new ways of solving some of the Asia-Pacific Region’s chronic challenges, such as treating tuberculosis and malaria, making water drinkable, conserving food, and diversifying energy sources, … Read More.